Costa Rica – 14-24 March 2008
For the 2008 Spring Break Jim Pease, Jim Dinsmore, and I took a group of 14 Iowa
State University students on a natural history trip to Costa Rica. The purpose of the trip
was to spend approximately 2 days in each 4 of the 12 Life Zones (plus a brief stop in a
fifth Life Zone) to sample some of the country’s biological diversity. The trip was a huge
success and we tallied 19 species of mammals, 313 species of birds, 22 species of
amphibians and reptiles, and an incredible diversity of insects and plants.
14 March
We assembled at Science II at 7 a.m. to drive to the airport. Arrived Des Moines at
8:15 a.m., plane was 30 minutes late departing to Dallas, where we arrived at 12:30 p.m.
The plane to Miami was also 40 minutes late and we arrived there at 4 p.m. After a 1 ½
hour layover we departed on time for San Jose where we arrived at 8:40 p.m. We were
greeted with another a lengthy wait in Customs before we met by Franklin and arrived at
Hotel Rincon de San Jose at 10:15 p.m. We were assigned rooms, drank some Imperial
beer, and got to bed by 11:45 p.m.
15 March
Many of us arose just after sunrise to bird the hotel
grounds and vicinity before breakfast. We saw lots
of birds, including spectacular looks at a Bluecrowned Motmot, Crimson-fronted Parakeets, Plain
Wren, and several neotropical migrants on their way
north. We ate a quick breakfast of fresh fruit, toast,
eggs, ham, and orange juice before leaving for the
town center at 8:30 a.m. We spent about an hour
touring downtown San Jose before returning to the
hotel and checking out at 10:15 a.m. From there we
headed west and then south to Carara, enjoyed the
change in forest type from moist to dry (along with
climbing temperatures!), and saw birds that included
Roadside Hawk, Blue-throated Goldentail, and
Chestnut-mandibled Toucan. We enjoyed a
traditional lunch of rice and beans with choice of
meat, fresh salad, and drinks at a roadside tienda.
Our next stop was the Tarcoles River crossing where
we enjoyed nice looks at several large American
Crocodiles. The crossing was great for birds and we saw a distant male Yellow-billed
Cotinga, many herons, Mississippi Kite, Yellow-headed Caracara, and Mangrove
Swallow. We then continued the short distance to Carara, arriving there at 2:45 p.m.
After checking into Hotel Carara (right on the ocean) several people went swimming
while others walked along the beach. The trees
adjacent to the hotel were frequented by several
cooperative Scarlet Macaws and a flyby Crane Hawk
while the offshore waters held Magnificent
Frigatebirds, Brown Pelicans, Laughing Gulls, and a
Royal Tern. Several of us walked north along the
road towards the mouth of the Tarcoles River and
saw lots of birds – Mangrove Black-Hawk, 3
Ferruginous Pygmy-Owls, Common and Lesser
nighthawks, White-collared Swift, Orange-chinned
Parakeet, Black-crowned Tityra, and Rufous-naped
Wren. After a short rest we drove to a small
restaurant south of Carara for dinner at 7 p.m. – rice
and beans, several choices of seafood, ceviche, and drinks. We were back at the hotel by
8:30, just in time for a short meeting before a night hike up the beach. The hike was
pretty slow although we did see 4 species of crabs including Mangrove Crab, several cool
spiders, and many interesting constellations in the night sky. We returned to the hotel at
10 p.m. and were asleep shortly thereafter. [partly cloudy, intermittent light afternoon
showers, temperature 65-89˚F, winds west 10-20 mph]
16 March
Several of use awoke early (5:30 a.m.) for a bird hike before breakfast. We began by
sitting on the beach for an hour watching seabirds in the Gulf of Nicoya. There were
hundreds of Brown Pelicans and Laughing Gulls and a few Royal Terns, but little else.
An adult Peregrine Falcon buzzed a flock of swallows feeding at the river mouth and we
saw a Spotted Sandpiper on the beach. A quick walk north of the hotel produced a few
wading birds and many Scarlet Macaws. We rendezvoused for breakfast at 7:30 a.m.
(rice, eggs, fresh fruit, toast, and assorted juices) and left at 8 a.m. for the park.
We arrived at Carara National Park at 8:15 a.m. and
spent the morning hiking the main trail north of the
headquarters. This 3-mile trail generally follows the
Tarcoles River east-northeast and eventually passes a
couple of small lagoons before ending at the river. This
is a semi-humid forest with many large trees and
several small clearings. We spent about 3 hours hiking
our way in and then another 45 minutes hiking out. At
the start of the trail we had great looks at a Lineated
Woodpecker in its nest hole along the highway. Other
birds along the morning hike included Boat-billed
Herons (roosting at the lagoon – great looks!), Barethroated Tiger-Heron, Double-toothed Kite, Bronzy
Hermit, Baird’s
Trogon, Pale-billed Woodpecker (two-note rap
only), Wedge-billed Woodcreeper, Barred
Antshrike, Sulphur-bellied and Streaked
flycatchers, Riverside Wren, and Green and Redlegged honeycreepers. About a half mile in we
encountered a small army ant swarm that was
tended by 2 Gray-headed Tanagers and a Blackhooded Antshrike. Non-bird highlights included a
turtle, a small pit viper, 2 White-nosed Coatis,
morpho butterflies, Spectacled Caiman, and Black
and Green iguanas. The hike ended at 12:15 p.m.
when it was getting hot and time for lunch back at
the hotel.
After lunch (rice with fish or chicken, fresh fruit, salad, bread, and juice) we relaxed
for a couple of hours in the midday heat. Many students went swimming and took a short
nap. At 2 p.m. several of us took a short walk up the road from the hotel. It was hot and
muggy and birding was slow although we managed to find a nesting pair of Streakheaded Woodcreepers, Rose-throated Becard, Wilson’s Warbler, and a Willet and 3
Ruddy Turnstones along the beach.
The group gathered at 3:30 p.m. to return to Carara
National Park for a late afternoon hike south of the
visitor center. The forest here was taller and more
humid than where we hiked in the morning. The
birds here were outstanding, especially the antbirds!
A small army ant swarm provided close looks at
Black-hooded Antshrike, Dot-winged Antwren,
Chestnut-backed Antbird, Black-faced Antthrush,
and White-whiskered Puffbird. Other birds included
Little Tinamou, Cherrie’s Tanager, and Yellowcrowned Euphonia. In addition to the birds the group
had great looks at a Central American Agouti. We
hiked here until dark and then returned to the hotel
for dinner (rice with fish, chicken, or steak,
hamburgers, salad, fresh fruit, and cake for dessert)
before heading to bed at 9 p.m. [mostly clear, light showers in late afternoon,
temperature 74-92˚F, wind WSW 5-15 mph]
17 March
We again arose early for a 5:30 a.m. bird hike
before breakfast (eggs, bacon, rice, fresh fruit,
toast, and assorted juices). We birded the road
north of the hotel and saw many birds including 6+
Gray-necked Wood Rails on the road, Costa Rican
Swift, Canivet’s
Emerald,
White-necked
Puffbird,
Turquoisebrowed
Motmot, Rosethroated Becard, Blue Grosbeak, Buff-throated
Saltator, and White-collared and Variable seedeaters.
We packed the van after breakfast and departed at 8:15
a.m. and followed the coast along the east side of the
Gulf of Nicoya to Palo Verde National Park, arriving
there at noon. We made a quick stop to scan some
mudflats near Puntarenas and saw Black-bellied
Plover, Whimbrel, Least Sandpiper, and Caspian and
Royal terns among hundreds of Laughing Gulls. The rest of the drive was mostly
uneventful in terms of wildlife although we did see a cooperative pair of Roadside
Hawks, a Double-striped Thick-Knee, another Turquoise-browed Motmot, 3 Whitethroated Magpie-Jays, and Tropical Gnatcatcher.
Our first task on arriving at Palo Verde NP was to eat
lunch, although we soon learned that they had forgotten
we were planning to be there! After a few minutes delay
we sat down for lunch – roast chicken, rice and beans,
flan, bread, and assorted juices. A lunchtime highlight
was a walk-by male Great Curassow right outside the
dining room! After lunch some people rested while others
hiked around the biological station. The lagoons were
relatively dry compared to previous visits and the overall
number of waterbirds was below normal. Most of the
birds were Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks (thousands of
them!) but mixed in were many herons and egrets,
Muscovy Duck, Blue-winged Teal, Limpkin, and Blacknecked Stilt. Some of us encountered a cooperative troop
of White-faced Capuchins and heard distant Goldenmantled Howler Monkeys. A pair of Turquoise-browed Motmots was displaying near the
station entrance. At 3:30 p.m. Franklin drove us south of camp to a trail to an overlook to
see the main lagoon. The views were spectacular and highlighted by brief looks at a
Hook-billed Kite. People took their time walking
back to the station for dinner at 6 p.m. (chicken or
beef on rice, beans, green beans, bread, and a fruit
bar for dessert). After dinner we went on a short
night hike along the edge of the lagoon where we
found several Leopard Frogs, lizards, a 6”
walking stick, calling Common Pauraques and
Pacific Screech-Owls, a Northern Raccoon, and a
White-tailed Deer in the strong winds. [partly
cloudy, temperature 75-92˚F, wind west 5-10
mph]
18 March
This morning we again arose early for a
morning hike before breakfast. Several of us
hiked north along the lagoon edge where a
highlight was a small troop of Golden-mantled
Howler Monkeys. The lagoon held many of the
same waterbirds as the day before, although we
particularly enjoyed hearing the “roar” of a
calling Bare-throated Tiger-Heron. Breakfast
was at 7 a.m. and consisted of rice, beans, eggs,
fresh fruit, toast, and assorted juices. After
breakfast we met our guide, Alberto, for a morning tour of the forest near the biological
station. This was an extremely productive hike in terms of information about the park,
the lagoon, and the dry forest. We saw a group of 3 Central American Spider Monkeys
(a real rarity in Palo Verde), Golden-mantled Howler Monkeys, White-faced Capuchins,
a 5’ boa constrictor, and many birds including 3 Jabiru, Snail Kite, Collared ForestFalcon, and Long-tailed Manakin. The hike was strenuous and involved a steep climb to
an overlook 200 meters above the station where we had excellent views of the lagoon and
river. By lunchtime it was hot and windy and we were ready for a break. Lunch
consisted of noodles with a meat and vegetable mix, fresh fruit, bread, and assorted
juices.
After lunch we loaded into the bus
for a short drive to the Rio
Tempisque for an afternoon boat
ride. We departed at 1:30 p.m. and
returned at 4:30 p.m. The weather
was exceptionally nice with a good
breeze, some cloud cover, and
pleasant temperatures. Our boat ride
took us upstream (away from Bird
Island) into some mangroves and
side channels of the main river. We
saw many troops of monkeys
(howlers and capuchins), lots of
American Crocodiles, Green Iguanas, Long-nosed Bats roosting on the undersides of
trees overhanging the river, and Brown Basilisks. There were many wading birds
perched along the river plus Anhinga,
Spotted Sandpiper, White-fronted Parrot,
Ringed and Green kingfishers, and
Mangrove Swallow. The highlight of the
ride, however, was watching a White-faced
Capuchin pick up a large stick, eventually
break it over a tree trunk, and pick out some
grubs for a meal! On the return ride to the
station we saw a group of 9 Collared
Peccaries, a Central American Agouti, at
least 5 Great Curassows, and a Black-cowled
Oriole. We relaxed a bit before dinner at 6
p.m. (rice and beans, pork ribs, cassava,
fresh fruit cocktail, and assorted juices). We then held a short group meeting after dinner
to discuss trip highlights thus far, goals for the remainder of the trip, and plans for the
next day. [clear to partly cloudy, temperature 77-90˚F, wind SW 10-25 mph]
19 March
Several of us again awoke for an early morning bird hike before breakfast. We
started before dawn and heard Spectacled and Mottled owls and several Turquoisebrowed Motmots and saw a cooperative
Northern Tamandua. After a quick
breakfast (rice, eggs, cheese, fresh fruit,
juice) a few of us returned to the hills
above the station to search for Longtailed Manakins. At the base of the trail
we saw troops of Golden-mantled
Howler Monkeys and White-faced
Capuchins and at least 8 Great
Curassows. The trail behind the station
was quite birdy and we had brief looks at
a male Long-tailed Manakin plus
Mangrove Cuckoo, 2 Scarlet Macaws, Steely-vented Hummingbird, Ivory-billed and
Streak-headed woodcreepers, Nutting’s Flycatcher, and Yellow-throated Vireo. We
loaded up the vans and departed the biological station by 8:30 a.m. On the way out of the
park as we headed for the Pan American Highway we saw 2 pairs of Double-striped
Thick-Knees, several Scissor-tailed Flycatchers, and Streak-backed Oriole. The drive to
Lake Arenal was uneventful and we enjoyed the change in habitat and temperature as
much as seeing a Brown-throated Three-toed Sloth and several each of White-throated
Magpie-Jays and Brown Jays. We stopped at a nice roadside restaurant along the north
side of Lake Arenal for lunch and the birding was excellent – Collared Aracaris, Orangechinned Parakeet, Masked Tityra, Scarlet-thighed Dacnis, Green Honeycreeper, and
Passerini’s Tanager. Lunch was delicious – chicken, beef, or fish with mashed potatoes,
cooked carrots and green beans, bread, and dessert. We departed at 1:15 p.m. and en
route to La Selva we saw White-tailed Kite, 6+ Swallow-tailed Kites, a Plumbeous Kite,
Ringed and Amazon kingfishers, and Yellow-billed Cacique. We finally arrived at La
Selva Biological Station at 4:20 p.m. after a longer than expected drive!
After settling in to our rooms at La
Selva we took a quick tour of the station
grounds before dinner at 6 p.m. (beef,
sausage, beans, cassava, salad, and a
cookie). During our walk we saw a large
group of Collared Peccaries, a Hoffman’s
Two-toed Sloth, several calling Great
Tinamous, a Crested Guan, Lineated and
Pale-billed woodpeckers, a pair of Longtailed Tyrants, and an active Montezuma
Oropendola colony. We met again at
7:30 p.m. for a night hike. La Selva has
been suffering from drought for a couple of years and this was apparently the year with
the lowest rainfall and soil moisture in the last 10 years of record keeping. Nonetheless,
we managed to find a good-sized Fer de Lance, a Massurana, two species of small frogs,
many interesting (and large!) spiders, a tarantula, and a Nine-banded Long-nosed
Armadillo. Our night hike ended at 9 p.m. and after a short group meeting we were off to
bed. [partly to mostly cloudy, intermittent light rain in the afternoon, temperature 7290˚F, winds variable 10-20 mph]
20 March
This was our only full day at La Selva and
was unfortunately impacted by bad weather. The
rain began around 3 a.m., continued for most of
the morning, and let up only briefly in the
afternoon. Several of us tried to bird before
breakfast, but it was difficult because of the
downpour. We still managed to find a few birds
including all 3 toucans and Piratic and Boat-billed
flycatchers. Breakfast was at 6:30 a.m. and
consisted of rice, eggs, fresh fruit, a fig roll, and
juice. After lunch the class split into two groups, each with a guide, for a morning hike.
Each group spent time on the station grounds, at the swamp, and in both the primary and
secondary forest to experience a sample of the site’s habitats. Our guide was very
knowledgeable about the plants and history and we enjoyed the hike despite the rain. We
saw relatively few birds but managed to see some interesting species like Great
Curassow, Amazon and American Pygmy kingfishers, Stripe-throated (Little) Hermit,
Barred Antshrike, White-winged Becard, and Stripe-breasted Wren. We met back at the
station for lunch at noon – rice, beans, roast chicken, mixed vegetables, a cookie, and
juice.
After lunch the group split up for
some free time before a scheduled
talk at 3:30 p.m. Three of us went on
a long hike to the southeast of the
station grounds (about a 5 mile hike)
through some very nice primary
forest. We saw Semiplumbeous
Hawk, White-collared Swift, Rufous
Motmot, Ocellated and Dusky
antbirds (following a small army ant
swarm), and Olive-backed Euphonia.
But the highlight was when I stepped
on a small Fer-de-lance! The group met in the jaguar teaching room at 3:30 p.m. for a
research talk by La Selva graduate student Erin Kuprewicz. She gave an excellent 1 hour
talk about her work with seed predation, hoarding, and dispersal by Central American
Agoutis and White-nosed Coatis. After the talk several of us birded the station grounds
and river trail in the remaining daylight and saw White-collared Manakin, Bright-rumped
Attila, Squirrel Cuckoo, Broad-billed Motmot, Green Hermit, Wedge-billed and Strongbilled woodcreepers, Dot-winged Antwren, Blue-and-gold Tanager, and Orange-billed
Sparrow. Dinner was at 6 p.m. and consisted of rice, beans, steak cooked in a thick
sauce, green beans and carrots, a coconut cake, and juice. We had a class meeting at 7
p.m. and then went for a night hike. Highlights on the hike included a large Brown
Blunt-nosed Vine Snake (about 1 m long), a couple of frogs, a preying mantis, and, for
me, an Olingo walking on the bridge across the river. [overcast and foggy, heavy rain
through 11 a.m., intermittent for the rest of the day, temperature 75-89˚F, wind light and
variable, very muggy]
21 March
This was our last morning at La Selva and
thankfully the weather was nicer. A few of
us again met at 5:30 a.m. for a bird hike and
saw a Crested Guan with a brood, Common
Black-Hawk, Olive-throated Parakeet,
Squirrel Cuckoo, Chestnut-colored
Woodpecker, Black-capped TodyFlycatcher, Band-backed Wren, and Blackfaced Grosbeak. We posed for a group photo
at the OTS sign before loading the bus and
departing at 9:30 a.m. From here we
followed the base of the Central Mountains
east and then climbed rapidly through Braullio Carillo National Park to San Jose. We
didn’t make any extended stops, ate our sack lunches (sandwiches, hard boiled egg,
chips, cookie, and water or juice) en route, and arrived at Savegre at 2 p.m.
After we checked into our rooms we
enjoyed the beauty of the grounds and
the hummingbird show. Birds seen
around the hotel included 2 Resplendent
Quetzals, 5 species of hummingbirds,
Long-tailed Silky-Flycatcher, Yellowwinged Vireo, and Slaty Flowerpiercer.
There was still plenty of time for a short
hike so we went down the valley through
the campground and took a short trail
into the forest. During our hike we
added several more including Sulphur-winged Parakeet, Emerald Toucanet, Silveryfronted Tapaculo, Black Phoebe, Dark Pewee, Yellowish Flycatcher, Ruddy Treerunner,
Mountain Robin, Collared Redstart, and Yellow-thighed Finch. We returned to the hotel
by 6 p.m. for dinner – rice, mixed vegetables, rabbit, fried fish, and salad and dessert
bars. [mostly clear, light rain in the mountains, temperature 55-88˚F, winds light and
variable]
22 March
We awoke early to the cool air of Savegre.
Some of us wandered the grounds of the
hotel before breakfast and saw many of the
common birds including Osprey, Band-tailed
Pigeon, Sooty Robin, and Flame-colored
Tanager. Breakfast was delicious – rolls,
rice, eggs, pancakes, French toast, fresh fruit,
and juice. At 7 a.m. we met Merino Chacon
for a morning hike of the reserve. We hiked
downhill from the hotel along the road then
wound our way along the main stream to a waterfall on the western end of the property.
The valley was surprisingly crowded with
the holiday weekend. The morning birding
was excellent and we saw 8+ Resplendent
Quetzals, Mountain Elaenia, Torrent
Tyrannulet, Tufted Flycatcher, Goldenbellied Flycatcher, Ochraceous Wren,
Black-faced Solitaire, Brown-capped
Vireo, and Spangle-cheeked Tanager. We
also saw several lizards including Green
Spiny Lizard. Our hike ended at noon, just
in time for lunch that consisted of rice,
tortillas, chicken, fish, fresh fruit, and a
salad bar.
After lunch the group split for several
afternoon activities. Most people went on a hike
while a few also took a 1-hour horse ride to a
waterfall. My group hiked down the valley to a
waterfall while other groups hiked up the
mountain above camp and walked the Los
Robles trail for a couple of miles. Some of the
birds seen included Black Guan, Buffy
Tuftedcheek, American Dipper, Black-billed
Nightingale-Thrush, Black-bellied Siskin,
Rufous-browed Peppershrike, Golden-winged,
Flame-throated, and Black-cheeked warblers,
Black-thighed Grosbeak, and Yellow-thighed
Finch. All of us assembled for dinner at 6:30 p.m. and enjoyed rice, beans, mixed
vegetables, a cheese enchilada, grilled chicken (the tastiest chicken I have ever had!),
baked trout, salad and dessert bar, and beer. After dinner we held a short group meeting
and called it an evening at 8 p.m. [partly cloudy, temperature 51-77˚F, wind SW 5-10
mph]
23 March
This was our last full day in Costa
Rica and the plan was to spend the
morning at Savegre and then travel to
San Juan after an early lunch. Several of
us again met at 5:30 a.m. for some
birding on the hotel grounds. The
highlights were a pair of Resplendent
Quetzals and a pair of Torrent
Tyrannulets on the stream right by the
hotel. We ate breakfast at 6:30 a.m. –
rice, eggs, fried plantain, a meat tortilla,
pancakes, French toast, assorted fruit, juice, and coffee. After lunch the group split to
cover areas not visited the day before. One group went with Jim to explore a second
waterfall while I took 3 people up the mountain to the base of the Los Robles trail. My
group had an excellent morning of birding and saw Ruddy Pigeon, a Costa Rican PygmyOwl at its nest hole, Green-fronted Lancebill, Collared Trogon, Streak-breasted
Treehunter, Hairy Woodpecker, Silver-throated
Jay, Rufous-browed Peppershrike, and Largefooted Finch. There were also hundreds of
migrating Broad-winged Hawks and smaller
numbers of Swallow-tailed Kites, and we later
learned of an early morning flight of Swainson’s
Hawks that we had missed. We arrived back at
the hotel at 11 a.m. in time to load the bus. After a
quick lunch (rice, beans, mixed vegetables,
chicken, fried trout, salad and dessert bars, and
juice) we were on the road by 12:30 p.m. We
made a quick stop in paramo habitat where we saw
Timberline Wren, Slaty Finch, and Volcano Junco.
We then made a beeline for San Jose, but made quick stops to shop for coffee and
trinkets. We arrived at Hotel Rincon de San Jose at 4 p.m. and had reservations for
dinner at 6:30 p.m. Franklin and his wife joined us for dinner and our final class meeting.
[mostly clear, temperature 53-82˚F, winds light and variable]
24 March
This was our travel day home. We had a 7 a.m. flight from San Juan, so we departed
the hotel at 4:30 a.m. and barely made the flight because of all the travel traffic. Our
flights home were fine, although we nearly missed the last flight from Chicago to Des
Moines and weren’t back in Ames until almost midnight!
Map available at http://www.wildland.com/trips/centralamerica/cos_map.aspx
For more information contact:
Stephen J. Dinsmore
Department of Natural Resource Ecology & Management
339 Science II
Iowa State University
Ames, IA 50014
E-mail: cootjr@iastate.edu
Mammals
Common Opossum
Northern Tamandua
Brown-throated Three-toed Sloth
Hoffman’s Two-toed Sloth
Nine-banded Long-nosed
Armadillo
Long-nosed Bat
White Tent Bat
White-faced Capuchin
Golden-mantled Howler Monkey
Central American Spider
Monkey
Red-tailed Squirrel
Variegated Squirrel
Central American Agouti
Eastern Cottontail
Northern Raccoon
White-nosed Coati
Olingo
Collared Peccary
White-tailed Deer
Birds
Great Tinamou
Highland Tinamou
Little Tinamou
Black-bellied Whistling-Duck
Muscovy Duck
Blue-winged Teal
Crested Guan
Black Guan
Great Curassow
Brown Pelican
Neotropic Cormorant
Anhinga
Magnificent Frigatebird
Bare-throated Tiger-Heron
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Little Blue Heron
Tricolored Heron
Cattle Egret
Green Heron
Black-crowned Night-Heron
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron
Boat-billed Heron
White Ibis
Glossy Ibis
Roseate Spoonbill
Jabiru
Wood Stork
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
Hook-billed Kite
Swallow-tailed Kite
White-tailed Kite
Snail Kite
Double-toothed Kite
Mississippi Kite
Plumbeous Kite
Crane Hawk
Semiplumbeous Hawk
Common Black-Hawk
Mangrove Black-Hawk
Roadside Hawk
Broad-winged Hawk
Gray Hawk
Swainson’s Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Collared Forest-Falcon
Crested Caracara
Yellow-headed Caracara
Laughing Falcon
American Kestrel
Peregrine Falcon
Gray-necked Wood-Rail
Limpkin
Double-striped Thick-knee
Black-bellied Plover
Black-necked Stilt
Northern Jacana
Spotted Sandpiper
Willet
Whimbrel
Ruddy Turnstone
Least Sandpiper
Laughing Gull
Caspian Tern
Royal Tern
Rock Pigeon
Red-billed Pigeon
Band-tailed Pigeon
Ruddy Pigeon
Short-billed Pigeon
White-winged Dove
Inca Dove
Common Ground-Dove
Ruddy Ground-Dove
White-tipped Dove
Gray-chested Dove
Sulphur-winged Parakeet
Crimson-fronted Parakeet
Olive-throated Parakeet
Scarlet Macaw
Orange-chinned Parakeet
White-fronted Parrot
Red-lored Parrot
Mealy Parrot
Yellow-naped Parrot
Squirrel Cuckoo
Mangrove Cuckoo
Groove-billed Ani
Pacific Screech-Owl
Spectacled Owl
Costa Rican Pygmy-Owl
Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl
Mottled Owl
Lesser Nighthawk
Common Nighthawk
Common Pauraque
Black Swift
White-collared Swift
Chimney Swift
Vaux's Swift
Costa Rican Swift
Bronzy Hermit
Green Hermit
Long-billed Hermit
Green-fronted Lancebill
White-necked Jacobin
Green Violet-ear
Canivet’s Emerald
Violet-crowned Woodnymph
Blue-throated Goldentail
Steely-vented Hummingbird
Rufous-tailed Hummingbird
Cinnamon Hummingbird
White-throated Mountain-Gem
Magnificent Hummingbird
Purple-crowned Fairy
Volcano Hummingbird
Scintillant Hummingbird
Black-headed Trogon
Baird's Trogon
Violaceous Trogon
Collared Trogon
Black-throated Trogon
Slaty-tailed Trogon
Resplendent Quetzal
Blue-crowned Motmot
Rufous Motmot
Broad-billed Motmot
Turquoise-browed Motmot
Ringed Kingfisher
Belted Kingfisher
Amazon Kingfisher
Green Kingfisher
American Pygmy Kingfisher
White-necked Puffbird
White-whiskered Puffbird
Emerald Toucanet
Collared Aracari
Keel-billed Toucan
Chestnut-mandibled Toucan
Acorn Woodpecker
Black-cheeked Woodpecker
Hoffmann's Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Chestnut-colored Woodpecker
Lineated Woodpecker
Pale-billed Woodpecker
Ruddy Treerunner
Buffy Tuftedcheek
Streak-breasted Treehunter
Wedge-billed Woodcreeper
Strong-billed Woodcreeper
Ivory-billed Woodcreeper
Spotted Woodcreeper
Streak-headed Woodcreeper
Spot-crowned Woodcreeper
Fasciated Antshrike
Barred Antshrike
Black-hooded Antshrike
Dot-winged Antwren
Dusky Antbird
Chestnut-backed Antbird
Ocellated Antbird
Black-faced Antthrush
Silvery-fronted Tapaculo
Yellow-bellied Elaenia
Mountain Elaenia
Torrent Tyrannulet
Ochre-bellied Flycatcher
Common Tody-Flycatcher
Black-headed Tody-Flycatcher
Yellow-olive Flycatcher
Yellow-margined Flycatcher
Royal Flycatcher
Tufted Flycatcher
Dark Pewee
Yellowish Flycatcher
Black-capped Flycatcher
Black Phoebe
Long-tailed Tyrant
Bright-rumped Attila
Dusky-capped Flycatcher
Nutting's Flycatcher
Brown-crested Flycatcher
Great Kiskadee
Boat-billed Flycatcher
Social Flycatcher
Golden-bellied Flycatcher
Streaked Flycatcher
Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher
Piratic Flycatcher
Tropical Kingbird
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher
Cinnamon Becard
White-winged Becard
Rose-throated Becard
Masked Tityra
Black-crowned Tityra
Yellow-billed Cotinga
White-collared Manakin
Long-tailed Manakin
Yellow-throated Vireo
Yellow-winged Vireo
Brown-capped Vireo
Philadelphia Vireo
Yellow-green Vireo
Lesser Greenlet
Rufous-browed Peppershrike
White-throated Magpie-Jay
Brown Jay
Silvery-throated Jay
Gray-breasted Martin
Mangrove Swallow
Blue-and-white Swallow
Northern Rough-winged
Swallow
Southern Rough-winged
Swallow
Bank Swallow
Cliff Swallow
Barn Swallow
Band-backed Wren
Rufous-naped Wren
Riverside Wren
Stripe-breasted Wren
Rufous-breasted Wren
Plain Wren
House Wren
Ochraceous Wren
Timberline Wren
Gray-breasted Wood-Wren
American Dipper
Long-billed Gnatwren
Tropical Gnatcatcher
Black-faced Solitaire
Black-billed Nightingale-Thrush
Ruddy-capped NightingaleThrush
Swainson's Thrush
Wood Thrush
Sooty Robin
Mountain Robin
Clay-colored Robin
White-throated Robin
Long-tailed Silky-flycatcher
Golden-winged Warbler
Tennessee Warbler
Flame-throated Warbler
Yellow Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Black-and-white Warbler
Northern Waterthrush
Louisiana Waterthrush
Kentucky Warbler
Wilson's Warbler
Collared Redstart
Rufous-capped Warbler
Black-cheeked Warbler
Buff-rumped Warbler
Bananaquit
Common Bush-Tanager
Sooty-capped Bush-Tanager
Dusky-faced Tanager
Gray-headed Tanager
Red-throated Ant-Tanager
Summer Tanager
Flame-colored Tanager
Passerini’s Tanager
Cherrie's Tanager
Blue-gray Tanager
Palm Tanager
Blue-and-gold Tanager
Golden-hooded Tanager
Spangle-cheeked Tanager
Scarlet-thighed Dacnis
Green Honeycreeper
Red-legged Honeycreeper
Blue-black Grassquit
Variable Seedeater
White-collared Seedeater
Blue Seedeater
Yellow-faced Grassquit
Slaty Finch
Slaty Flowerpiercer
Yellow-thighed Finch
Large-footed Finch
Orange-billed Sparrow
Black-striped Sparrow
Rufous-collared Sparrow
Grayish Saltator
Buff-throated Saltator
Black-headed Saltator
Black-faced Grosbeak
Black-thighed Grosbeak
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Blue Grosbeak
Red-winged Blackbird
Melodious Blackbird
Great-tailed Grackle
Bronzed Cowbird
Black-cowled Oriole
Streak-backed Oriole
Bullock's Oriole
Baltimore Oriole
Yellow-billed Cacique
Montezuma Oropendola
Scrub Euphonia
Yellow-crowned Euphonia
Olive-backed Euphonia
White-vented Euphonia
Yellow-bellied Siskin
House Sparrow
Amphibians and reptiles
Smooth-skinned Toad
Giant Toad
Strawberry Poison-dart Frog
Common Rain Frog
Leopard Frog
Spectacled Caiman
American Crocodile
Red-cheeked Mud Turtle
House Gecko
Common Basilisk
Green Basilisk
Striped Basilisk
Five-keeled Spiny-tailed Iguana
Black Spiny-tailed Iguana
Green Iguana
Yellow-headed Gecko
Green Spiny Lizard
Central American Whip-tailed
Lizard
Boa Constrictor
Coffee Snake
Brown Blunt-headed Vine Snake
Fer-de-lance